Nothing Is As It Has Been
by opalheart12
Summary: Gabrien Black has grown up her entire life not knowing anything about her real parents. It all changed when she got her letter from Hogwarts and learned the truth about her family's past.
1. Chapter 1

The rain pelted down on her back hard but she knew she had to keep moving. If she had any hope of being alive the next day, she had to keep moving. Her jet black hair clung to her face and she pulled the tattered blue coat tighter around her body.

The school was in her sight. She could see the golden light that filled its windows. She ran up quickly past the Willow, which she'd temporarily frozen, to the school. She pushed open the large oak doors with great difficulty and walked into the large castle.

Her skin was chilled from traveling in the rain for over four hours. Goosebumps arose on her skin as the warmth of the castle enveloped her. Breathing erratically, she hurried ahead to the Great Hall and pushed its large doors open, again with great difficulty.

The children inside the Great Hall, who were all eating dinner and chatting merrily, ceased all activity as soon as they saw her enter. The entire hall was silent and all that was heard was the steady dripping of raindrops from her coat to the stone floor. She spotted the man at the staff table and ran to him, panting as she did so.

The gray haired man arose from the table and walk round it to the podium. He gazed curiously at the strange looking woman. Her skin was extremely pale, splotchy, and damp. Her gossamer hair stuck to her face and her eyes were puffy and red from crying for so long.

She fell to her knees in front of him and began sobbing hysterically. He and the rest of the occupants in the hall watched her with great interest. Through her uncontrollable sobbing, they could all here her trying to say something. The hall became even more quiet as they al struggled to listen to her.

"He's killed them. My God, he's killed them all." She sobbed terribly.

Tears were streaming all which ways down her face. The gray haired man bent down and took her into his arms, but she threw him off as if he burned and she resumed her agonizing crying.

"Who is it?" the old man asked. "Who is dead?"

The girl stopped her crying and looked up at Dumbledore with sad, horrified eyes.

"The Elroys!" she yelled horribly. "He killed the Elroys." She said as she kept sobbing.

The entire hall watched with shock, sadness, horror, and astonishment. Had she said the Elroys? No one could speak. No one could move. It was simply unbelievable. Who was this woman?

"But, my dear, that cannot be." The gray haired man said softly.

The woman looked up at the old man as if he had just told her the world had stopped. "You don't believe me," She sniffed and cried softly.

"YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME!" she screamed as she sobbed. "No one believes me."

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Genevieve Black. My name…is Genevieve." She managed to choke out.

"Why do you think the Elroys have just been killed?" the old man asked softly.

"He told me he loved me, not her! He wasn't supposed to love her!"

"But why do you think they've have just died?" he asked.

"Time. That's what he told me. He said they'd put me away for time because that's what people do. There's no choice. You're born with the world hating you. No one is on your side." Genevieve sobbed.

"Who told you this?" he asked.

"Thomas. _He_ killed them. He…he r-raped me and killed them. I…I am having—" Genevieve immediately stopped talking and pointed to her overlarge stomach which had just become visible to all in the Hall.

Dumbledore looked down at her stomach and back up at her. A tinkling sound was heard and all could see water coming down her leg. She looked up at him. "Help me." She pleaded before falling backward on the stone floor, dead.

That night was a night of bittersweet emotion. That night, someone died, and someone was born. No one could pinpoint exactly why Genevieve Black died that night or what was wrong. Dumbledore was able to extract the few memories he could of her while she took her last breaths, determined to know the past of this mysterious young woman.

Her baby survived, after Madam Pomphrey did a C-section. No one had known who the father of the baby was or what Genevieve had intended on naming her. For the first few hours, the baby had breathing problems breathing, as its mother's oxygen had ceased when she died. But when morning came, she was crying as she should have been.

"She's finally sleeping, sir. What are we going to do with her?" Madam Pomphrey asked, doting at the baby as it slept inside its cradle.

"We give her to a respectable family. And see her in 11 years when she returns here." Dumbledore replied solemnly.

"But, sir, who could possibly—"

"I will find someone." He said with a tone of finality. Silence resumed and the two continued, watching the baby as she slept.

"Are you aware of what you're asking me to do, Albus?" Sirius Black asked as he paced his office in Grimmauld Place.

"Yes, I am aware, Sirius, but this girl, she needs a family. A proper family."

"And what makes you believe that I—"

"I trust you, Sirius. I know that the Potters have just been killed. But I can offer you protection. The Ministry will already be after you as they think you are the one who told Voldemort of James and Lily's whereabouts. I have proof that you were not the Secret Keeper. They will be hunting Peter Pettigrew this time tomorrow." Dumbledore said as he stared out the window. The rain beat against it in a rhythmic pattern.

Sirius sighed. "What about Harry?" he asked.

Dumbledore stole from his thoughts. "Harry will be living with Magnolia Evans. She is Lily's other sister. She has stated that she would not mind in the slightest to take care of Harry. I trust her as I am trusting you with this child." He said.

"Albus—"

"Sirius, I am counting on you. She needs you."

"Albus, please. I—I can't."

"You must."


	2. Chapter 2

_**a/n: Sadly, I do not own Harry Potter at all. I want to thank everyone who has read this and reviewed it. This idea hit me like Bobby Brown while I was on my way to sleep and I knew I had to write it. I didn't put this AN in the first chapter cause I forgot so I'm saying it here. I'm still very slightly foggy on what I want to do with this but I have a pretty good idea. This is what I think should've happened, kind of like my version of Harry Potter. I just love this plot so much and I'm rambling but still…please read and review…I love it when you guys do that.**_

_**Happy Reading!**_

Sirius was torn from his sleep for the fourth time that night. He groaned as he rolled onto his back. The baby kept crying and he could no longer ignore it. He sighed and got up from his bed, dragging his feet to her crib. He picked her up and carried her to the bathroom. Sirius changed her diaper and fed her more milk before burping her. This baby had proven to be a lot of trouble. She was restless child. And she was still crying. Sirius groaned again and starred hard at the girl.

"I know what's wrong with you," he said sleepily, coming to a conclusion. "You don't have a name."

The baby's crying quieted slightly and Sirius smiled slightly, knowing he was right. He wrapped her in a small blanket before walking over to the rocking chair near the crib. He pulled the woolen blanket up to his chest as he held her.

"What can we name you?" he asked himself sleepily. The baby was crying softly still and Sirius was sleeping rather than thinking.

"Gabrien…Antares is beautiful tonight…Carina; I remember that one..." Sirius mumbled to himself. The baby had stopped crying as soon as he'd said these words. He looked down at her.

"You like that? Gabrien? Carina? Antares?" He asked. The baby looked up at him sleepily, a small smile on her tiny face.

"All three?" he asked.

She giggled and smiled her toothless baby smile. Sirius smiled back and rocked her gently. "Well, then, three it is, my dear: Gabrien Antares Carina Black." Sirius said as he rocked back and forth gently. She finally fell asleep an hour later, an hour before dawn. Sighing, Sirius arose from the chair and set her gently in her crib before returning to his own bed for some much needed rest.

"Did they find him?" Professor McGonagall asked tentatively as she stood in front of Dumbledore's desk.

"No. The Aurors have searched everywhere for Mr. Pettigrew and the search has so far proven rather uneventful." Dumbledore answered solemnly.

"I…I simply _cannot_ believe the Potters are dead! It's too horrible to even think of. They didn't deserve that." Minerva said mostly to herself.

"Has anyone ever killed by Voldemort deserved their death?" Albus asked thoughtfully.

"Of course, not, Albus. I was merely stating…have they found the bodies?"

"Surprisingly, no. James and Lily's bodies were not in the house when I searched there."

"Are you saying…is it possible that the Potters are _still_ alive?" Minerva asked.

"Minerva, if the Potters are truly dead, then bless their souls and may they rest in peace. If they are not, it is for good reason. If they are not in fact dead, they will return eventually." Albus answered.

"Why haven't you searched for them, Albus? They left a _child_ behind!" Minerva asked rather shortly.

"They do not wish to be found at the present time. And as it is, I would very much appreciate it if this was only between the both of us." Albus said with an extreme tone of gentle finality.

Minerva backed off and walked to the door of Dumbledore's office. "I have work that needs grading." She said quietly.

"Oh, come now, Minerva. You had a valid reason for asking. I would ask those very same questions were I in your place as well. However, for now, it is best that we simply let it go." Albus said, this time, more gently.

"How is she?" Remus Lupin asked, leaning against the counter in the kitchen of Grimmauld place.

Sirius finished heating Gabrien's bottle and fed it to her as he sat down in a chair. "Since I've named her, she hasn't been crying half as much. I only have to wake up twice every night, maybe three times, as opposed to the four and five she was causing me before." He said.

The two were silent and the sucking noises of Gabrien were all that could be heard. Then, Sirius spoke again.

"I never pictured it would be this way." He said quietly.

"What?" Remus, too, had slipped away from his thoughts.

"I never thought that life would be like _this_ when we left Hogwarts. James and Lily are dead now. _Dead._ I used to see Harry nearly everyday and now…I have no idea where he is. I am taking care of a child now and…I guess I just never really thought it would happen to _us_, you know. Everything seemed unreal in school. It…it seemed like we'd always be together, that we'd always see each other. And now the only time I see any of our old friends is at their funerals." Sirius said thoughtfully.

Remus stood away from the counter and sat down next to Sirius. "I never thought it would be like this, either. When we were in school it seemed like nothing would happen to us. Nothing. And we barely make it out and we can't even live our lives the way we wish because there is someone in the world who doesn't want us to. And for what?"

Sirius was quiet. He didn't know what to say.

"How many people have we lost, Sirius?" Remus asked quietly.

"Countless." He replied.

"How many _friends_ have we lost? The McKinnons. The Prewetts. The Longbottoms. James and Lily. Those were all people who didn't deserve what happened to them. They had families and memories, and _life_. And the way it was stolen from them…that shouldn't…it is not the way life is meant to be lived. And I _never_ pictured it _this_ way." Remus said with conviction.

The two were quiet for a long time now, thinking of the conversation they'd just had. Finally, Remus announced that he was going to take his leave and visit with Sirius soon again. The full moon was only two days away and he still had to get his Wolfsbane Potion from Severus.

"It was wonderful to have you here, Moony," Sirius said as he adjusted Gabrien on his shoulder.

"It was wonderful to be here, Padfoot." Remus replied smiling. The two laughed as Sirius walked Remus to the door.

"And by the way, Padfoot, you need to find a wife. What are you going to do when Gabrien gets to _that age_?" Remus asked, a wry smile on his lips.

"Ah, that's easy. I'll take her to Madam Pomphrey." The two shared one last laugh before Remus left.

A knock on the front door downstairs startled Sirius from his sleep. He looked over at his clock and noticed that it was nearly three in the morning. He peered into Gabrien's crib and saw that she was sleeping peacefully, having not heard the knocks. Sirius took his wand from his bedside and hurried down the stairs quickly and quietly.

He wasn't sure who would be visiting him at this time of night. Gripping his wand tightly, he looked through the peephole and saw a cloaked figure. Muttering a quick spell that would lock every entrance to his home that no spell could penetrate, he pressed his body against the door.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, receiver of the Order of Merlin First Class, and brother to Aberforth and Ariana Dumbledore." The voice said.

Sirius relaxed slightly and opened the front door, letting Albus in. Sirius closed the door and followed Albus into the kitchen.

"Is there a specific reason you came to call at near three in the morning?" Sirius asked shortly. He was extremely tired and Albus coming to pay visits at strange hours would not help in the slightest.

"I do apologize for that, Sirius," Albus said, chuckling. "But I have great news to share with you."

Sirius sat up a little straighter, keeping his lethargy at bay for the time being. "Yes?"

"You may go and visit Harry at Magnolia Evan's home in Chelsea, London, if you'd like. I know it would ease a lot of stress you have about him and his wellbeing." Dumbledore said, a smile tugging at his face.

Sirius' jaw dropped. He couldn't believe he would _actually_ be able to go see his godson after so long. When he thought about Harry, he thought about James and that made his heart hurt. James was apart of him, the brother he'd always wished he had, his best friend and brother through all. He had to force back the tears that had ambushed him at that moment.

"Thank you, Albus. I'll go and see him first thing tomorrow. I'm quite sure Harry would love to meet Gabrien." He said heavily. Albus smiled, bade Sirius goodnight, and left.

Sirius rolled his eyes as he walked up the stairs back to his room. "He couldn't even use an owl for that?"

_Well, it was really good news. He wanted you to hear it in person_. His conscience told him. He told his conscience to shove it as he climbed back into his bed. Tomorrow would be a good day.

"Come on, honey. Eat your veggies. They're good for you!" the woman said to Harry as she tried to get him to eat two baby carrots. Harry made a baby noise and frowned at the mysterious food.

The woman stepped back, resigned at what she should do, and pinched the bridge of her nose. Finally, she picked up the carrots and made them talk, using her small animated voice.

"Oh, no! There's a baby! He wants to eat me! No!" she said as she slowly put the carrot in her mouth and took a bite. Baby Harry laughed and clapped his pudgy little hands together before grasping the carrots and biting them one by one. The woman laughed and coddled him. Just then, the doorbell rang.

She got up and went to go answer it.

"Can I help you?" she asked. Her dark brown hair was sticking to her forehead and her hazel eyes looked tired.

"Are you Magnolia Evans?"

"I am. Who are you?"

"I'm Sirius Black. I've come to see my godson, Harry." He said, smiling quickly. He shifted Gabrien in his arms.

A look of sudden realization dawned on Magnolia and she smiled. "Oh! Right! Dumbledore told me you'd be coming over today to see him! Well, I actually have to get to work now and Harry's just finished eating his carrots so if you could watch him for a few hours—"

"Of course, it's not a problem at all, Magnolia." Sirius said as he followed her into the living room. Gabrien was still asleep.

"Oh, please, call me Maggie. Anyhow, I have to be going now. I'll be back around ten tonight and Harry should be asleep by then. Thank you." Maggie said as she pulled on her overcoat, for it was rather cold outside.

"Not at all, Maggie." Sirius said. Maggie thanked him again and left. Sirius transfigured one of the armchairs into a crib and placed Gabrien inside until she woke up, before going into the kitchen.

"Pa'foo!" Baby Harry exclaimed happily when Sirius came in.

"Harry!" Sirius exclaimed joyously as he lifted the toddler from his high chair and held him in his arms. "It's so good to see you!."

Harry giggled happily and Sirius took him into the living and sat on the Oriental rug. Some of Harry's stuffed animals were lying around and he reached for the one shaped like stag.

Sirius gave the stuffed toy to Harry. "Dada." Harry said as he handed him the toy. Sirius gazed at the boy with astonishment and sadness on his face.

For the next few hours, Sirius played with Harry until Gabrien woke up, at which point he took her out, made sure her diaper was changed, and fed her. She smiled her toothless smile when she saw Harry and Harry giggled, smiling back. Sirius couldn't help but smile at the both of them as he played with them. Harry was playing with a wooden car and Sirius was making faces and saying things to Gabrien, making her laugh every few minutes.

At around three in the afternoon, he heard the front door open. "Maggie! I'm back from the store! I picked up some meatballs and spaghetti for us! There was a huge sale at the candle shop near the grocery store and I knew you would love the blue one I got you!" a voice said.

That voice made Sirius' blood run cold and freeze. He would know that voice anywhere. He put Harry and Gabrien into the playpen he'd transfigured from the crib earlier and walked to the edge of the living room, just where the front door was.

"Whose car is that outside? I've never seen it before and I—" the voice stopped and Sirius was out of his trance.

"Sirius?" the voice asked incredulously.

He didn't know what to say. What he was seeing just wasn't possible. If what he was seeing was in fact real, then it went against everything he thought about life. But, he had to be dreaming. There was no way he could be standing here seeing—

"Lily?"

_**a/n: Duh duh duh!!! Well?? What do you think is going to happen next? Is it really Lily? Is Lily the only one of the two Potters that survived? Is James alive? Will Dumbledore stop visiting people at weird times? Will Sirius and or Remus find a woman? Will I ever stop asking questions? Will my readers review this chapter? Lol ily guys a lot lol so please review and the next chapter should be coming soon **___


	3. Chapter 3

**_A.N: Dreadfully sorry for the long wait! I refused to write until another idea came to me that would make sense with this story, and I believe I've got it right. I hope you guys like it as much as I do._**

* * *

The man stepped off the bus and looked around at the street he currently occupied. He just needed to make a quick stop to the motel room he was renting and then he could be on his way. It didn't take long to get back to the room, since the town of Osgard, Massachusetts was only about three streets big with the rest being homes. He dipped into the motel room and grabbed all of his belongings, shoving them into the one large briefcase he carried everywhere with him, using an extension and shrinking charm, before setting off again. Only this time, he didn't use the bus.

The man kept walking until he was alone in the woods and apparated to the place he saw in his mind's eyes, the place he'd seen and read about in the books: Salem Institute for Magical Education. It was in no way similar to Hogwarts. There was no castle, but instead was a cluster of buildings in the middle of the woods with a pathway winding down the other side of the hill it sat down. A wrought iron gate circled the large campus and towering trees engulfed the school in a canopy of earthy darkness. He walked up the less worn path to the gate and stopped.

"State your purpose." a soft, firm voice said from the lock on the gate.

"I am here to see Headmaster Emerson." the man replied.

"State your name." the voice commanded in return.

"James Harold Potter."

* * *

"Lily? I don't understand! How-"

Lily looked just as shocked as Sirius was. Harry and Gabrien had gone quiet. Sirius scooped Gabrien up out of the playpen and began to rock her softly as she yawned. Harry used the top of the playpen to pull himself up and reach toward his mother. "Mama!" he squealed happily.

She smiled and kissed her son on the forehead long and hard. "I believe its time for your nap, sweetie! Come on, let's go." She gave Sirius a meaningful look and hurried upstairs to put Harry down.

Sirius sat down slowly in the armchair nearby, summoning the playpen closer and transfiguring it to a crib once more. Gabrien was sleeping peacefully now and he laid her down cautiously before sitting back in the chair. How could Lily still be alive? He'd heard the story: that Voldemort came to the Potter house to murder James, Lily, and Harry and disappeared thereafter. It was assumed that James and Lily had been either kidnapped or were dead and Harry had been left behind for almost two hours until Hagrid had been able to retrieve him. If Lily was here, then did that mean James was also alive? Why would they have left Harry behind like that if Voldemort's demise wasn't guaranteed? There were too many questions and not enough answers.

"James obliviated me." a soft voice said from the stairs.

Sirius was stirred from his thoughts and saw Lily coming to sit in the chair across from him. "He...obliviated you? Lily, you remember me, Harry, James, even your sister! How could he possibly have-"

"Not obliviated exactly, at least not through a spell." She sighed, wringing her hands before going into an explanation. "James is a Legilimens. He's been practicing since basically birth. It was something his parents made him do, of course, he never told anyone but me. Turns out it ended up being useful."

Sirius' eyes narrowed at the thought that there was actually something about James he hadn't known. The two were closer than brothers could be. "So...he obliviated you, but not with the spell. You're telling me he got into your head and...and what?"

Lily ran a hand through her fiery red hair and sighed again. "He got into my head and basically gave me instructions. I was to apparate with Harry the moment Voldemort came to the house, and bring Harry back exactly fifteen minutes later. James was going to try to hold off Voldemort." She caught sight of Sirius' disbelieving face. "I know it sounds weird but...James is more powerful than you'd think. I was to forget James and then once I'd apparated to Magnolia's I'd remember everything. It worked. But we had to figure out how to make it look like we died...so I apparated back to the cottage and saw that some of it was blasted to bits. James said he'd chased off Voldemort, that he was gone but that he could come back eventually."

"But how-" Sirius was at a loss for words. He knew James had come from a pureblood family, one of the oldest in wizarding Britain, and that his parents were always making him practice how to act and be apart of high society, but it appeared that wasn't the only thing Charlus and Dorea Potter were teaching him.

"When we got back, we heard voices outside in the front yard. It was Hagrid and Dumbledore. James told me to leave Harry in the crib and apparate to Maggie's and that he had somewhere else to go first. But...he didn't come back." Lily said, her voice shaky with tears. "I told Maggie everything the moment I got here and she hid me upstairs when Dumbledore and Hagrid dropped Harry off on her doorstep."

Sirius listened, and yet he wasn't sure what to believe. The whole wizarding world had assumed Lily and James were either kidnapped or dead for nearly a month now and yet here she was telling him that they were very much alive. Lily was shaking with tears at this point, no doubt from the stress of the last month. Her whole life had changed completely and she didn't appear to know what to do about it.

"Do you know where James is?" he implored, cocking his head to the side slightly and reaching a hand out to pat her shoulder. But even as Sirius asked, Lily shook her head.

"I don't really know for sure where he is. He said he was going to try to find people to help against Voldemort. All I know is he's in the States right now trying to talk someone into coming here, but he won't say who they are or where he is. He's coming back, though. He promised he would be home for Christmas." Lily said, sounding more and more assured of this as she spoke.

Gabrien let out a soft cry from inside the crib and Sirius immediately went for her, picking her up and rocking her gently. "Are you hungry now, sweetheart?" She gurgled in response, her cries diminishing as he spoke to her. "It's okay, Gabrien, Daddy's got you." He rocked her with one arm and tried to open the bag he'd brought with him to get her baby formula. Lily noticed and an easy smile touched her face.

"I've got it, Sirius. Why don't you tell me how you came to be a father? Was she the product of one of your many romantic trysts?" He knew Lily was only joking, but at that moment it put a lot into perspective. He had a daughter now, albeit not necessarily biologically his but, as annoying as babies could sometimes be, he felt a pull toward Gabrien.

"I adopted her. A woman came to Hogwarts, pregnant of course, and died giving birth. Dumbledore entrusted Gabrien to me." Sirius said, figuring that was a short enough explanation.

An odd look crossed Lily's face. "Honestly?"

Sirius nodded and reached out for Gabrien so he could feed her her bottle and let her fall asleep again. "Honestly."

* * *

James took in the large office he'd been invited into. It looked like a huge living room, and he immediately felt at home. There were two plush armchairs in front of a large cherry wood desk as well as a fluffy couch and coffee table nearby. Bookshelves covered the walls from floor to ceiling and it seemed that only the floor-to-ceiling windows were spared. A large ornate chandelier hung from the ceiling, between the headmasters desk and the two arm chairs.

"Make yourself at home, James." a voice said.

James immediately turned around and saw a tall man who looked as if he had no business at all being the headmaster of any school. He couldn't have been much older than James' twenty-one and had dark honey colored hair and deep hazel eyes. He was very fit with a slightly muscular build and was wearing a dress shirt, tie, slacks, and dress shoes. His voice was strong and assuring and James found himself wondering how on earth Michael Emerson became headmaster of Salem.

"Headmaster Emerson. I know we've never met, but I've come from England asking for help."

Michael Emerson's eyebrow shot up as he grabbed two empty glasses and conjured brandy into each before handing one to James and keeping one for himself. "Explain, please, Mr. Potter."

"By now I'm sure you've heard of Lord Voldemort's defeat a little over a month ago. I don't believe he is dead, and I know he will return soon. Soon could be a few days, months, or years. But magical Europe needs to be ready. As I'm sure he will be amassing trolls, giants, and werewolves to help him the second time around. I have taken it upon myself to travel and try to get as much help as possible. When Voldemort returns, he will return stronger than ever. We have to defeat him once and for all."

Michael listened to James with rapt attention and looked very thoughtful. No words were spoken between them for a time and James was thinking it hadn't been the best idea to come to America and ask for help. Magical America wasn't all that inclined to lend a hand to magical Europe, let alone the United Kingdom. If the Magical Intelligence & Protection Agency got wind of this, there would be serious implications for Headmaster Emerson. James was about to get up and leave when Michael spoke again.

"I'm willing to help any way I can. However, I regret to say that I cannot personally help. If the MIPA finds out, my position here at Salem could be compromised. I can, however, send over someone else. Her name is Aricela Black-Whitman. She currently resides in London, actually. She's there visiting with her husband, Ernest Whitman." he said.

James perked up when he heard London. He could get back to lily and Harry 3 weeks early before he set out again. That thought made him very happy. Very happy indeed.

* * *

**_A/N: There you have it! Hope you guys enjoyed it!_**


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